Testudines

HARVESTED – Is the species collected by humans?

Species Common Name Harvested

Cheloniidae sea turtles Caretta c. caretta Atlantic loggerhead Unk Chelonia m. mydas Atlantic green turtle YF Economically Chelonia mydas is the most important reptile in the world. Its flesh and its eggs serve as an important source of protein in many third-world nations where protein is scarce (Ernst et al. 1994)

Eretmochelys i. imbricata Atlantic hawksbill YF hawksbill flesh and eggs are eaten in many parts of its range (Ernst et al. 1994); YC throughout its range it is hunted for the plates of its shells (Ernst et al. 1994) Lepidochelys kempii Kemp’s ridley or Atlantic ridley YF egg poaching caused the initial decline [in population size] (Delikat 1981; Hall et al. 1983; Lutz and Lutcavage 1989; Ross et al. 1989; Thompson 1989; National Research Council 1990; Caillouet et al. 1991)

Dermochelyidae leatherback sea turtles Dermochelys c. coriacea Atlantic leatherback YF gathering the eggs for both commerce and personal consumption (Ernst et al. 1994) Chelydridae snapping turtles Chelydra s. serpentina eastern snapping turtle YF the flesh of the snapping turtle is tasty and eaten throughout the range…fresh eggs are edible if fried (Ernst et al. 1994) Emydidae pond turtles Chrysemys p. picta eastern painted turtle Unk Chrysemys p. marginata midland painted turtle Unk Clemmys guttata spotted turtle YP (Lovich and Jaworski 1988; Lovich 1989; J. Harding, pers. comm.) Clemmys insculpta wood turtle YP (Ernst et al. 1994) Clemmys muhlenbergii bog turtle YP (D.E. Collins 1990); YF eaten by people (Ernst et al. 1994) Deirochelys r. reticularia eastern chicken turtle YF palatable flesh is the source of its common name (Ernst et al. 1994) Emydoidea blandingii Blanding’s turtle Unk Graptemys geographica northern map turtle Unk Graptemys ouachitensis Ouachita map turtle Unk Malaclemys terrapin terrapin northern diamond-backed terrapin YF (Ernst et al. 1994)

Pseudemys c. concinna eastern river cooter YF, YP (Ernst et al. 1994) Pseudemys c. floridana coastal plain cooter YF (Ernst et al. 1994) Pseudemys rubriventris northern red-bellied cooter YP, possibly YF Terrapene c. carolina eastern box turtle YP - foreign pet trade (Ernst et al. 1994); YF, M, C (Adler 1970) Trachemys s. scripta yellow-bellied slider YP (Ernst et al. 1994) Trachemys s. elegans red-eared slider YP (Ernst et al. 1994) Trachemys s. troosti cumberland slider YP (Ernst et al. 1994) Kinosternidae mud and musk turtles Kinosternon s. subrubrum eastern mud turtle Unk Kinosternon baurii striped mud turtle Unk Sternotherus minor peltifer stripeneck musk turtle Unk Sternotherus odoratus stinkpot or common musk turtle Unk Trionychidae softshell turtles Apalone m. mutica midland smooth softshell Unk Apalone s. spinifera eastern spiny softshell YF humans eat the adults (Ernst et al. 1994)

Harvested Codes: YF = yes-food (personal and/or commercial) use, YC = yes-cultural/ceremonial use, YM = yes-medicinal use, YB = yes-bait for fishing, YK= yes-killed or persecuted, YP = yes-pet trade, N = no, Unk = unknown